The University Student Union (USU) Board of Directors is currently accepting applications for any student looking to serve on the board.
The USU Board of Directors is responsible for making decisions concerning policy, renovations, marketing and budgetary items while providing overall direction for the facilities, programs and services funded by USU fees.
There are currently nine positions waiting to be filled. All nine are for student representative positions that are responsible for making decisions as a board that will continue the maintenance and growth of the USU.
Other responsibilities include setting direction for the organization through the formulation and implementation of organizational goals, voting on policy changes, budgets, renovation plans, contracts and agreements and anything else needed by the organization.
The USU Board of Directors has 15 voting members: nine student representatives, one faculty representative, one alumni representative, one designee of the university president, one designee of the vice president for Business & Finance, one outside community representative and one Associated Students Inc. (ASI) representative.
The USU is looking for current California State University, Stanislaus students with a GPA of a 2.0 or above, who are creative, innovative and in tune with the culture of the campus.
It is important that student applicants are able to talk to their fellow students and understand what needs to be improved, changed or added to the USU.
Navil Canal, USU Executive Assistant, said she worked her way up from student representative.
“I was able to see how the University Student Union made sure that students had the best facility such as the renovation of The Carol Burke Lounge and best programming available.”
Several students stay on the board for more than one semester in order to continue to see changes made within the university.
Emily Benefield, Chair of the Board of Directors, has been with the USU for three years. She spent her first year as a student representative and her second as ice chair.
Benefield explained the benefit of participating in the USU means, “having a distinguished, multi-million dollar company as a part of a student’s resume.”
She also addressed what students can learn through participating in the USU.
“The skills learned as a [USU] Board of Directors member range far beyond the basics of a ‘normal’ board member for any other not-for-profit organization,” Benefield said.
Benefield also explained the USU provides, “skills that students hear about in the classroom but may not get the hands-on experience they need once they got out into the job market.”
All student seats on the USU Board of Directors become vacant each year. Students currently serving on the Board of Directors must submit an application in order to be considered for another term.
“This past year’s Board of Directors has been the most creative, innovative, and successful BOD that I have seen during my time with the University Student Union,” Benefield said.
“I can only hope that with the recruitment of next year’s BOD we can find similarly excited and helpful individuals to lead us through another academic year,”
The term of office for members of the USU Board of Directors will begin on June 1, 2013 and will end on May 31, 2014.
ASI is also currently accepting application to its Board of Directors; there are 14 seats to be filled. The applications are due on Friday, March 29 and the confirmation of election results will be on Tuesday, April 30.
For more information, contact the ASI/USU front office 209-667-3833 or e-mail [email protected]